Kyron Rathbone shreds Indonesian & Malaysian tidal bores

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 17 January, 2014 -- It’s easy to get confused between Bono and Benak tidal bores. Benak is Malaysia while Bono is Indonesia, but people are both from Malay culture and similarities abound.

I’ve been lucky to become the first surfer on Benak as well as on Bono, I mean surfer, dug-out canoes have been riding those undular & breaking bores for centuries.

After 6 trips on Bono since Sept 2010, I decided to go Benak last October for my 3rd trip there. And the project was to explore the entire length of the bore and shoot unique slow mo’ views from a paramotor.

In July 2011, I had to opportunity to follow the bore with a chopper that was provided by Alfred Jabu, chief Deputy Minister of Sarawak. 2 years afterwards, here we are are riding 3h per afternoon about 45 km of breaking waves.

Although the riverbed has changed quite significantly, the good surprise is a set of 3 sections of 20 min breaking waves. Sri Aman town section were much fun, shorter rides but blessed by some powerful pockets and amazing glass conditions. After 3h of ride & cruise, you’re done ! Especially if you’ve been riding early mornings for an additionnal 30 min!

Australian Kyron Rathbone came from his new seasonal home in Siargao, Philippines to perform his SUP skills. Obviously, riding 1-5ft bore waves for a Tasmanian daredevil like Kyron, who regularly surfs the beasty open water spots like Shipstern and Pedra Blanca is anything but scary. But Kyron truly got the bore bug, enjoying the brown water rides as much as chocolate candy bars! Probably the “Cloud 9” chocolate bar syndrom!

Kyron became very creative with what you can do on a wave riding such a long time ! On day 2, he broke the Benak record with a 28min exhilarating ride at “Cadbury Rights” only taken down by lightning which literally stroke him down ! Weather did not play on our side this time and two afternoons were plagued by a wild thunderstorm, messing the game for an hour, where we actually got cold, cruising 15 knots against brutal tropical rain.

To tell you the truth, we did not see any crocodiles on the river, maybe one head, cruising by near the riverbank, maybe...Our main disappointment was that Belgium Tom De Dorlodot could not manage to bring his own paramotor through Brussels airport since it got blocked by the company being labelled as “dangerous item” because of potential fuel tracks.

We struggled much to rent a local paramotor which turned out to be a wreck. After much engine work, Tom finally managed to take-off twice to do some shooting which came out good on screen but nothing like a “full-on bore scan” flight that was originally planned. Which was bad news.

And good news because that means I will have to go back ! And I already feel pretty excited about doing more reseach and rides there. Combining 2 of the 20min sections is possible which means a 45min record is doable with the right weather, the right banks, the right itinerary, the right board...

The Video clips made by movie editor Clement Gargoullaud will reveal some unprecedented tidal fantasy, striking the imagination of heaps of liquid riders!